John Parker

[Dawn E Foster]

(02-18-2013 11:41 AM)Gene C Wrote:  How does this note compare to other samples of Mrs. Lincolns handwriting?
The date of the note sees to coincidental to me.

In Mary Todd Lincoln, Her Life and Letters, Justin G. Turner and Linda Levitt Turner footnote that entry (pg 211) with, "This order and the one which follows were written out for Mrs. Lincoln's signature, which was hastily scrawled." The one which follows is the same order, on the same date, for a Joseph Sheldon. They later (pg 221) note, "Less than two weeks earlier, before rejoining her husband at City Point, Mrs. Lincoln had signed an order detailing Parker for White House guard duty. She was perhaps too elated then by the war news to consider whether an investigation had been made into Parker's qualifications, which were dubious to say the least. It was one of those small lapses destined to have fatal consequences."